I have a stack of old calendars sitting on a stool in my paper crafting studio, waiting for me to find alternate uses for them. Because the art on these calendars is copyrighted, you can’t really sell anything  you make from the calendar art. That’s what is known as a derivative product, and is strictly no-no when it comes to copyright laws.

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There are definitely other ways you can recycle the calendars, however. If you’ve been following some of my past posts, then you know that one of my favorite uses for old calendars is to cut them up for three-ring binders.

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I also have an old calendar page that I had matted and framed that now hangs in my sewing room above a knick-knack shelf. I paid more for the frame, I’m sure, than I did for the calendar, but I’m enjoying it nonetheless!

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My Aunt Doris in Germany uses old calendars to make wonderful photo albums as gifts. Some years ago, after she and my Uncle Herbert visited our family, she gave me a photo album like this as a remembrance.

Photo Album Collage

Although the photo below shows how I used scrap paper with sock product tags, you could cut up calendars and use them exactly the same way. I attached crochet thread hangers to the tags, which can be used as scrapbooking embellishments or journaling spots.

Recycled Sock Tags

As you can see,  just one calendar page yields quite a few tags. I mount cutouts like these onto card stock, and then punch holes in them to make tags that become thank you giveaways for folks who purchase my products.

Tag Giveaways

You’ll find many more ideas from others about how to upcycle, recycle or re-use old calendars in the following posts:

What do you do with your old calendars?

© 2013 Judy Nolan. All rights reserved.

 

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7 thoughts on “New uses for old calendars”

  1. Love this post! I’ve used calendars and greeting cards as art journal collage elements, gift tags, embelishments for x-mas ornaplain gift wrap or gift bags, tree ornaments (good old fashioned paper garland), and more. Don’t forget the calendar side. That part can be fun for scrap note paper, journal pages, oversized “graph” paper, etc.

  2. Beautiful! I love your calendar re-uses. I once had a calendar I loved so much I just kept using it. I realized you might might have to add or subtract a day, but there’s always a month with dates that line up, if that makes any sense. It might say “December,” but maybe the dates actually line up with July this year! I was a kid and it didn’t bother me.

  3. Janet Bocciardi

    Brilliant! I save old calendars, because when I bought them I loved the artwork. I’ve done nothing with them, but I’m inspired tremendously by all these ideas. Thanks for sharing!

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